All applicants with previous/current enrollment at MSU must request official MSU transcripts to be sent to our office, as our admissions committee does not have access to view MSU enrollment.

Hard copy transcripts must arrive to our office in an envelope sealed by the institution's registrar. Transcripts that have been opened by the student are deemed unofficial and will not be accepted.

International transcripts:

May only be requested to be sent via mail. Electronic international transcripts will not be accepted.

Official transcripts and diplomas must arrive in envelopes sealed officially by the issuing institution.

Official transcripts and diplomas not issued in English must be accompanied by an official, word-for-word, English translation.

An attested copy of the diploma must also be requested directly from the institution.

Michigan State University does not accept WES evaluations or any other report from a credential evaluation agency in lieu of official sealed transcripts from the applicant's institution.

Transcripts issued by higher education institutions in mainland China require an official verification report from the China Academic Degree and Graduate Education Development Center (CDGDC). This official verification report must come to the MSU Office of Admissions in an official sealed, unopened envelope from the CDGDC – the applicant is not to open the official sealed envelope as that will make the transcripts unacceptable.

Recommendation letters must come from academic or professional references. The Admissions Committee does not accept letters written from personal references.

The Admissions Committee encourages applicants to request letters from multiple sources if possible. Although this is not a requirement, as the Admissions Committee understands this may not always be possible, they prefer not to see all three letters of recommendation come from the same place of employment or the same academic program.

Letters of recommendation from academic or professional references must be submitted on the organization's letterhead. References who cannot obtain official letterhead should reach out to the MPH program office at mph_generalinformation@hc.msu.edu.

Recommendation letters must be written within one year of the date of application.

The Admissions Committee looks for letters of recommendation that address the following topics:

The applicant’s academic or professional capabilities

The applicant’s leadership skills

The applicant’s work ethic

The applicant’s ability to successfully complete graduate level work

The applicant’s personal qualities consistent with professionalism and teamwork

Applicants input the e-mail addresses of their recommenders within their portal. The system then sends the letter-writer an e-mail with instructions on how they can upload their letter directly to the applicant's portal.

Letters of recommendation must be submitted directly to the applicant's portal by the letter-writer or through a secure letter service such as Interfolio. Letters uploaded by applicants will not be accepted.

Personal statement describing interest/experience in the public health discipline and career goals

The personal statement should be a concise, well-written document discussing the applicant's interest in public health; how their experiences (personal and professional) have influenced that interest; and how their career goals align with public health and their pursuit of an MPH. It is recommended that applicants also discuss why they have chosen to apply to the MPH at MSU and how their skills and experience contribute to their candidacy.

The Admissions Committee highly recommends the personal statement be a minimum of four to five paragraphs. They expect personal statements to be of sufficient length to fully understand the applicant's interest and goals in public health.

The applicant has the option to submit their personal statement on the university application or upload it to their applicant portal. It is not required for the applicant to submit their personal statement on the university application, but if they don’t submit it on the university application, they must upload it to the portal.

A waiver may be requested for this requirement if an applicant has a previously conferred graduate or professional degree. The waiver request form can be downloaded here: MPH Waiver Request Form. Applicants upload the completed waiver request under the file type "Test Score" in their applicant portal.

Applicants are provided the opportunity to submit an academic statement if they feel they have experienced an academic situation that they would like to explain to the Admissions Committee. This option is highly recommended if an applicant has a less than a 3.0 GPA, individual semesters with poor performance, multiple withdrawals, less than preferable standardized graduate or professional school test scores, etc.

The applicant has the option to submit their academic statement on the university application or upload it to their applicant portal. It is not required for the applicant to submit their academic statement on the university application.

*Non-MSU undergraduates are welcome to submit an application. Admission decisions are contingent upon receiving official, degree-granting transcripts. The applicant’s degree must be granted within three consecutive semesters of the semester for which they applied. MSU undergraduates are welcome to look into dual undergraduate enrollment options.

A waiver for the English language proficiency test requirement may be requested for situations defined by the Graduate School. The waiver request form can be downloaded here: MPH Waiver Request Form. There is no guarantee waiver requests will be approved except in the following circumstances:

International applicants who earned their bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. institution.

International applicants who earned a master’s degree at an AAU institution on a U.S. campus. In this case previous English language proficiency test scores are helpful but not required.

Applicants may contact us with questions regarding specific situations.

The MPH Admissions Committee acknowledges that applicants to our MPH program may also concurrently apply to other graduate or professional degree programs (e.g. a graduate degree complimentary to public health, a medical degree, a nursing degree, a law degree, etc.). The Admissions Committee asks that these applicants ensure their application materials (e.g., personal statement, letters of recommendation, etc.) are relevant to public health and graduate education. Please avoid submitting verbatim copies of application materials used to apply to other programs.

Thank you for your interest in the online Master of Public Health (MPH) degree from Michigan State University. All of the courses offered within this degree are all delivered in an online learning environment. There are no on-campus courses offered as part of the MPH degree.

State Authorization: Distance Education Restrictions Based on Permanent Residence

Michigan State University is obligated to comply with existing state laws regarding distance education (programs/departments offering courses delivered exclusively online). State laws regarding distance education vary state-by-state, and even program-by-program within a state. The Master of Public Health offered through the College of Human Medicine’s Division of Public Health at Michigan State University requires a practicum experience that constitutes a physical presence in some states, therefore restricting enrollment in our program to residents of those states.